Postpartum Progress Is A Website Founded By Katherine Stone That Is Dedicated To "Providing An Unflinching Yet Hopeful Look At Getting Through Postpartum Depression, Postpartum Anxiety, Postpartum OCD, Postpartum Psychosis, And Antenatal Depression &Anxie

Postpartum Progress is a website founded by Katherine Stone that is dedicated to "providing an unflinching yet hopeful look at getting through postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, postpartum psychosis, and antenatal depression & anxiety." Keep reading for more info and a Q&A with Katherine.

As I often do with Twitter, I stumbled upon a great resource recently, this one for postpartum depression. Postpartum Progress is a website founded by Katherine Stone that is dedicated to "providing an unflinching yet hopeful look at getting through postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, postpartum psychosis, and antenatal depression & anxiety." Postpartum Progress has received numerous awards, including being named among the Top Ten Depression Blogs three times. Katherine writes a weekly column for AOL's Parent Dish, speaks publicly about postpartum depression often and is a great resource. Postpartum Progress features individual women's experiences with postpartum depression as well -- first-person stories that perhaps some other moms can relate to. Katherine includes her email on Postpartum Progress and is incredibly responsive. I reached out to her with a few questions and she graciously emailed her answers. Please keep reading to learn more from Katherine about Postpartum Progress and postpartum depression. 1. What motivated you to start Postpartum Progress? I was motivated to start Postpartum Progress in 2004 because I was frustrated by the lack of information and support that existed when I went through posptartum OCD. I was really shocked that in this day and age we still have very minimal support for suffering mothers, and I didn't want other women to feel as alone and helpless as I did. I just figured if I wrote openly about what happened to me it might help reduce the stigma a little bit. 2. For women who are experiencing PPD, what advice can you give them as far as where to begin seeking help? What about a woman who has PPD and feels so overwhelmed, she doesn't even know where to start? What advice would you give someone like her? The thing to do is start in a place where there are people who already know a lot about PPD and can help you, like Postpartum Progress or Postpartum Support International. I have a list of PPD support groups, a list of PPD specialists, and a list of support organizations, and a mom can email me to find out where to start if she is too overwhelmed to even look at the lists. It really helps to talk to people who've been there and can connect you to specialized help for PPD and related illnesses. 3. Do you have personal experience with PPD? If so, what was it like for you? I did indeed have an experience with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders with the birth of my first child in 2001. It was total hell. I had no idea a person could be that miserable and terrified. I recently wrote a little bit about what happened here: Postpartum Depression, Anxiety, and OCD: When Mental Illness is Temporary. It took a long time to get over it, but I'm completely fine now. I have two wonderful kids and I'm a very, very happy mama! 4. Anything else you'd like to add? I just want moms to know PPD is temporary and treatable with professional help. You've got to reach out and say something. Don't continue to keep it inside or try to get over it yourself. That will only prolong your suffering. Give a gift to yourself and get help.

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Katherine is clearly dedicated to helping women who are experiencing postpartum depression or other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Click over to Postpartum Progressand take a look around. Perhaps it's not a resource you need right now, but you never know if you or one of your friends might one day benefit.